


What Friends Are For

by claryharry



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Background Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Canon Compliant, Clary Fray & Alec Lightwood Friendship, F/M, Friendship, Jace Lightwood - Freeform, Love, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Parabatai Bond, Shadowhunters - Freeform, Shadowhunters Canon, alec lightwood - Freeform, clary fray - Freeform, jace wayland - Freeform, magnus bane - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 09:25:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13245303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claryharry/pseuds/claryharry
Summary: A missing scene from 2x20 I wrote a while back.What should have happened between Alec and Jace before Alec talked to Magnus.





	What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to transfer all of my writing from Tumblr to here, but I came across this and decided to post it in case anyone wanted to read it. 
> 
> As always, here's where you can find me if you ever want to talk or just follow  
> Writing Twitter: @harryclary  
> Main Twitter: @acklesalec  
> Tumblr: @claryharry
> 
> AND: if any of you ship Sizzy, I have a new fic about them called "Soft Hearts, Electric Souls" you should check out! 
> 
> -el

The music was loud and Alec could practically feel it drumming through his veins as he weaved through the crowd of people toward a familiar blond head at the bar. He heard Luke’s gleeful cheers among all of the voices and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. 

When he reached the bar, he set his pretty much full bottle of beer next to Jace’s nearly empty one. If there were ever something to describe the difference between the two men, this was definitely in the running. 

“Hey,” he said, nudging Jace’s shoulder lightly with his own. 

“Hey yourself,” Jace replied in a rather monotone voice. 

Alec sighed, leaning his left hip against the bar. “You’re not acting like someone who just defeated Valentine and ended the Mortal War.” 

“Neither are you,” Jace shot back. “You’ve been sulking ever since we got back to the institute and Magnus went home.” 

Alec tried to ignore Jace’s harsh tone, but there was something scratching at the back of his mind, telling him something was most definitely wrong. “Jace, what’s wrong? Our  _parabatai_ rune, the brooding, the drinking…. It’s finally over and you can finally be with Clary, but you’re not happy. Something happened at Lake Lyn that you’re not telling me about.” 

Jace closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. “Well, it  _is_  a party. That does explain the drinking,” he said when he opened his eyes. 

“Come on, Jace. Seriously.” Alec watched as Jace took a long drink from his beer before setting it back on the bar. 

“Alec, seriously, I’m fine. Just a little exhausted. Can you blame me? And what about you? Man, you’ve been a wreck for days.” Jace gave Alec a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Alec hated when Jace did this. Turned the attention off of himself and onto Alec; but, Alec decided to let it go for now. Jace would talk when he was ready to talk. “Have not,” he muttered, reaching for his own beer. Jace gave Alec a very intense  _really?_  look and Alec rolled his eyes in response. “Okay, fine. So, I’ve been a  _little_  miserable. Sue me.” 

“Little?” Jace snorted. “I haven’t seen you this depressed since,” Jace stopped, thinking for minute. “Well, never.” 

“I’ll get past it,” Alec said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

“You forget I can feel everything you’re going through. This isn’t something you just ‘get past.’” Go talk to him.” Jace tilted his head in Magnus’ direction and Alec couldn’t help but let his eyes follow. Magnus was leaning up against the wall, drink in hand, staring at the pool table. Which, incidentally, was where they’d had their first date. 

Alec hung his head. “I don’t think he wants to talk to me.” He could almost hear Jace rolling his eyes. 

“Oh, please. You two have been pining over each other ever since that fight,” Jace said. Alec started to protest, but Jace cut him off. “If you’re going to say something about the way he’s been acting, it’s obviously a defense mechanism. One I’m quite familiar with.” 

“I hate it when you’re right,” Alec mumbled. 

“So, always?” Jace raised his eyebrows at his  _parabatai._  

Alec shoved Jace’s shoulder and they both started to laugh,  _really_  laugh. Something they hadn’t been able to do for a long time. Alec threw his head back, letting the feeling of happiness wash over him since he knew it would soon be gone. He knew he was laughing obnoxiously loud, and so was Jace; however, not a single part of him cared. 

He couldn’t even remember why he was laughing at this point. What Jace had said hadn’t been  _that_  funny. He decided to give credit to relief. They were laughing because they were finally free. 

When their laughter died down and tears were wiped away, Alec glanced over at Magnus who was already looking back at him. He watched Magnus quickly look away and turn his attention back to his drink. Alec’s smile fell. 

“Alright,” Jace sighed. “Go. Now. It’s not a request.” 

“But-”

“Alec, Magnus loves you. You love him. Since when are you a quitter? You’re a Lightwood and Lightwoods don’t give up.” Jace reached out to squeeze Alec’s arm. “Magnus makes you the happiest you’ve ever been. I couldn’t bare to see that ripped away from you. You deserve so much. You’ve been nothing but good to people your entire life, please do something for yourself.” 

“I’ve been an ass to Clary, who actually saved Magnus’ life. So, I’ve been other things than good.” 

“Ah, I can get behind that.” Alec heard a voice that was becoming familiar to him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Clary approaching them, a huge smile on her face. Alec thought she looked really beautiful like that. Happy. 

“Watch it, Fray,” Alec warned, but there was no malice in his tone. He smiled and reached out to ruffle Clary’s hair, startling himself, Clary, and Jace. 

“What are we talking about?” Clary asked, saving Alec from any embarrassment he may have felt at his actions. “Something juicy?” 

Jace gestured toward Alec with the beer that was in his hand. “Alec won’t talk to Magnus.” 

Clary looked at Alec with nothing but love and sympathy in her eyes. Alec really hated himself for ever being so cruel to her. “You need to talk to him. It will claw at you for the rest of your life if you don’t. And now is as good a time as any. At least alcohol has been consumed.” 

“Who knew you had a brain?” Alec laughed and Clary put a hand to her chest in mock offense. 

“Okay, I literally told you the same thing,” Jace interjected, a look of disbelief on his face at the scene unfolding before him. 

Alec just shrugged and grabbed his beer, moving out of the way so that Clary could stand next to Jace. “Wish me luck,” he said before beginning to walk toward Magnus, his heart in his throat.

_Here goes nothing._

 


End file.
